My crew and I stood there with our rifles, waiting quietly. This was the part that got my heart pounding. Just then, the front doors of the facility burst open. A man in a lab coat with barnacles on his face burst out yelling. I opened fire and took him out. Another guy used a flamethrower to dispose the body to prevent the eggs from floating. We marched in myself taking the lead. Another person lied on the ground groaning. This person's infections were worse as it covered their entire face, neck, and hands. Another Briny Batch member took care of him. Our batch leader told us to separate. There were twenty scientists here and two were eliminated making eighteen left. We heard a "BANG!" and a Batch member grinned under his gasmask. At least I thought he was grinning, it's hard to see with only the person's eyes visible under the mask. "Gary Trout! Never do that again!" Sigmund Galley snapped. "Now the infected might try to kill us!"
"Chill out, dude!" Gary chuckled. "We might as well have fun, eh?"
I let out a groan. Yeah, we were all dudes. Girls were kept in other places because they were indispensable. As the ones to continue on the human race, they were blocked from joining the Briny Batch, unless they couldn't have children, then they were welcome. Sally's orders. Sigmund looked at me. "Barnaby, head upstairs and look for anyone hiding. My scanners reveal most of the infected are in the basement. I nodded, "Aye, sir!" I ran up the stairs. I found myself in a locker room. I opened the doors of the locker. I discovered a scientist trembling. A single barnacle was on his nose.
"Please, don't kill me!" he begged. "It can be surgically removed." I blasted him without speaking. I felt awful but I had to suck it in. The infection was not just outside the body, it was in the bloodstream. Nothing would have helped. I let out a sigh and looked for more people. I heard gunshots from downstairs and hollering. Gary was laughing.
"What a looney!" I muttered to myself. I walked towards the door to the biology lab. I needed a cardkey. I walked back to the scientist I recently "cleaned and searched his coat pocket. I found what I was looking for. I saw the name of the biologist. "Windsor Wiley." I read. I felt my heart sank and I faced palmed myself. The cowering scientist was the father of a comrade that was coming to join our platoon tomorrow. I couldn't believe myself, but if I didn't I would have allowed the spread of the disease. I used the cardkey and opened the door. I saw jars of preserved fish, shrimp, sea urchins, and pieces of the barnacle infection I spotted a metal door with a yellow sign that read, "TOP SECRET: EMPLOYEES ONLY". I searched the room. I found another scientist but she was already dead. When the infection spread long enough, the host dies and that was when the eggs spread like wildfire to other hosts, like pollen from flowers being spread by the wind in a very disturbing way. I looked around some more and found absolutely no more people. I used the cardkey on the door and I opened it. I heard a humming inside. A machine that resembled a mechanical archway was in the center of the room. "What the heck is this thing?" I wondered. A lady with black hair entered the room. She was another biologist. She had no barnacle from what I could see but the whole point of the cleaning mission was to eliminate everyone. It would be different if it were a rescue mission. I silently aimed my rifle at her. She did not look afraid at all.
She spoke to me calmly. "I know you are doing your job but there is something I need to tell you before you pull the trigger."
"What is it?" I said. "I don't have all day."
She said, "I have important files here about the barnacle. Have you heard of Iris the Delphinoid?"
I said, "That was just an old fairy tale my mom taught me. Angels don't exist, not even dolphin ones."
"That portal their proved otherwise. We found out that other realities exist besides this one and you are taking the files. Don't show them to anyone because these could put your life in danger."
"My life is always in danger." I replied.
"Not like this." she said. "Vincent Harry, the world treasurer, knows about the disease and has been a suspect. The moment we discovered he was up to something, he came in with a gasmask, infected everyone, and has been hiding around here." she said.
"No, he wouldn't." I shook my head. "He is a world class treasurer. He'd be out of his mind to roam around a place infected. If he is in here without the proper safety protocols I will have to get rid of him and tell Sally Salty what happened to one her main men."
The lady said sternly, "Don't tell her! She is a prime suspect." She walked over to sliding drawers, pulled out the manila folders, and handed them to me. "Take those and hide them. That is my only request." she then added, "Look for the defenders of the Pacific, they'll help." I was ready to pull the trigger when a bald guy in a gray suit and tie shot the lady. He noticed the files I was holding. I looked at him in disbelief. I was Vincent, and he was not properly dressed for safety protocols. I stepped backwards and took aimed at him. I bumped into a lever and the machine turned on. He noticed and pushed me in. With one hand on my rifles and the other holding onto the folders, I embraced his waste hoping to hold onto him with to prevent myself from falling, instead I felt him falling with me.
"Let go of me!" he yelled.
"Wherever we land you won't get away!" I snapped.
"@#$% you!" he roared as we tumbled into the portal. The next moment I saw, we were in a city with red skies."
"Where did we go?" I thought to myself. Vincent was furious.

End of Chapter